Before the Dawn
by halfmyheart
Summary: Why, of all the cities in the world, did he have to walk into mine? He could have gone anywhere. Why did he have to come to Seattle to ruin my life? Chapter 7 up. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

They aren't mine, I just play with them occasionally.

* * *

"You know, we've been through a lot together…and most of it is your fault!"

"Gee, thanks Max, that makes me feel good," said Alec from the doorway.

"Just go away," said Max, trying once more to slam the door in his face.

Alec's hand flew out and stopped it. He jammed his foot into the crack to keep it open, "Come on Max, can't we talk about this."

"Sure, talk all you want." Max gave him a violent shove that sent him flying into the wall opposite her door. "Just do it out there." With that she slammed the door and slid the bolt home.

"Hey Boo. What was that all about? Your boy being an ass again?"

"Again? When is he not, and he's not _my _boy."

"Whatever."

Max rolled her eyes as Alec began to bang incessantly on the door. "Come on Max!"

"I'm going to take a long cold shower."

"Whoa wait a minute sugar, what about him."

"What about him? He'll leave when his fist gets sore."

Max through one last annoyed look at the door before heading to the bathroom.

Stupid insensitive jerk, she thought savagely as she turned on the water. Why, of all the cities in the world, did he have to walk into mine? He could have gone anywhere. He could have gone to Las Vegas and been a hustler, or a bouncer. Why did he have to come to Seattle to ruin my life?

Of course the answers to all of these questions were simple: because he was Alec and Alec seemed to take pleasure from other peoples misery.

Max turned off the water and got ready for bed. She was vaguely aware of Alec still pounding on the door as she drifted off to sleep.

-------------

Great, thought Max as she opened her door and almost tripped over the sleeping form of Alec. Just when I thought things could get no worse, now he's sleeping on my doorstep. My own personal stalker.

Lashing out Max gave him a not-so-gentle kick in the abdomen.

"Wakey wakey sunshine."

"Damn Max that was uncalled for."

"So was your sleeping outside my door. People might get the wrong idea."

Alec rubbed the spot where she had kicked him, "Max, this is serious we need to talk."

"No Alec I don't have time for your drama right now."

"Please Max, it's important." Alec followed Max down the stairs, "It's about Joshua."

"What?"

Alec nearly tripped over Max as she came to a sudden halt one stair below him.

"He had a…little...run in with White's people…"

"You didn't think to mention this last night?"

"I tried Max, you wouldn't listen."

"Sorry, I was still mad at you for almost getting me killed! What was I thinking? Where is he?"

"He's being detained at White's headquarters."

Max took off down the stairs.

"I'm coming with you."

"Oh no you are not."

"Yes I am. I know the layout of the place. You gonna need me."

"Fine, but when we get back I am so gonna kick your ass."

* * *

TBC...if you think I should 


	2. Chapter 2

The room was dark, but with her enhanced vision Max could see perfectly from her vantage point on top of the row of crates. She watched the oblivious security guard sitting in the guard shack watching the closed circuit TV. She watched too, but only for Alec's all clear signal.

_Hurry up _she thought irritably.

Finally, a small red dot appeared in one of the upper right television screens.

_Show time. _

Silent as a mouse Max jumped from the crates to the floor. Using the shadows for cover she stealthily snuck up to the shack and boldly knocked on the door; then she shrank back into the shadows once more. The guard looked around but saw no one. Putting down his half eaten doughnut he pulled out his gun and walked to the door. Max waited while the guard decided whether or not to go out and have a look. Deciding that he probably should, he opened the door and stepped out.

_Idiot _thought Max as she sprang into action. Two seconds and he was down for the count. Max drug him to a secluded spot behind the back crates and tied him up. Then she went back to the shack and locked the door for privacy.

"Max," came Alec's soft voice over the radio.

"Go for Max."

"Ok, I'm on level two, corridor C."

Max scanned through the monitors in front of her.

"I see you. Joshua is on level three, cell block E."

"Copy that, cover me."

Max watched as the silhouette of Alec crept from screen to screen, pausing every now and then to make sure the way ahead was clear.

"Ok, I'm on level three."

"There are two guards headed your way. The room on the left is unlocked and unoccupied take cover."

"Got it."

The guards passed without incident and Alec started moving again, but suddenly a lone guard appeared around the corner.

"Hey…"

Alec decked him.

"Think you hit him hard enough?" Max hissed over the radio.

"Ah, he'll just wake up and think he needs a vacation."

"That wasn't the question. Keep moving. Two more cell blocks to go."

"Yes mother."

"Shut up."

The next few moments passed in complete silence as Alec got closer and closer to rescuing Joshua. Max watched the screens but failed to watch the door. It wasn't until she heard the guns cock that she became aware of the danger.

Damn, she thought, I've never let my guard down like that!

She turned to see eight heavily armed men standing over her. Instinctively she lashed out but they were ready with stung guns.

Falling to the floor she heard Alec's voice over the radio. "Uh, Max, we got problems."


	3. Chapter 3

Max shook herself awake and looked around at her new environment. She quickly realized that she was in a small, rectangular, holding cell. She squinted through the darkness at the other cells in the room, and cursed in frustration when she saw that they were all empty. Alec was obviously being held somewhere else within the compound but Max didn't have a clue where.

Suddenly the door opened and flooded the room with daylight. Max groaned when she recognized the figure standing in the doorway.

"452, so nice to see you again."

"Too bad I can't say the same thing about you."

White walked farther into the room and chuckled at her words.

White smiled, "you're so predictable. I guess we finally get to finish that conversation we started a while back."

"I'm not in the mood for talking."

White snapped his fingers and a guard instantly appeared in the doorway.

Max watched as he and another of Whites goons drug Joshua's unconscious body into the room and threw him into one of the vacant cages.

"Oh, I think you will be," said White accepting the stung gun the guard offered him.

He walked over to the cage and stuck it through the bars.

"So tell me 452, where is my son and where is my bracelet?"

Max thought of a nasty retort but checked herself when she looked at the gun hovering just inches away from Joshua's motionless body.

Max shrugged and mentally kicked herself as White stuck the gun to Joshua's chest.

When Joshua stopped convulsing White turned to face her again.

"My son and the bracelet?"

"What do you care anyway? It's just some dumb turn of the millennia trinket and your son hates you."

Wrong answer. White stuck the weapon to Joshua again, but the result didn't seem to please him.

"I don't have time for this 452. Either you tell me what I want to know now or…"

He let the threat hang in the air as he pulled a gun from inside his jacket and leveled it at Joshua.

Max knew that he would shoot Joshua without blinking an eye, so she didn't hesitate when she grabbed one of the guards that had gotten to close to her cage. She snapped his neck as she twisted his gun out of his hand.

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire.

Max shot the lock off of her cage and ran for cover behind a huge storage bin.

When the shooting stopped Max was the only one left standing.

She walked over to the unconscious form of White and fired once but the gun was out of bullets.

Cursing she walked over to the guard and snatched the keys off of his belt.

Five minutes later she was dragging Joshua down the hall way as she tried to evade hundreds of security guards. She was so glad when he finally woke up and was able to walk.

"What are we doing now little fella?"

"We have to find Alec. Then we have to find some sort of bracelet. White wants it bad, I'm not sure why, but it's probably for some ritualistic end of the world thing."

Joshua nodded his understanding.

Max saw movement ahead and took cover in an adjacent hallway. She waited in the shadows as the figure got closer and closer.

"Hey, hey watch it Maxie," said Alec as he ducked underneath her punch.

"Alec! How did you…never mind. We have work to do."

Alec put out his arm to stop her. "Way ahead of you Max."

He held out a small gold bracelet with a tiny blue stones set into the metal.

"Hey," said Joshua snatching at it, "that's mine."

"What?" said Alec and Max in surprised unison.

"Annie gave it to me."

"Annie? Blind Annie?"

Joshua nodded.

Max and Alec looked at each other in shock.

"That's why he killed her; she didn't have the necklace anymore."

"But why would she have it to begin with, unless she was a familiar, or she was helping them?"

"But why is it so important," asked Alec.

"I don't know," said Max, "but I know someone who might."

"Logan?"

"Yeah. Come on let's get out of here."

"Uh, Max," said Alec pointing down the hall, "that might not be as easy as you think."

Max looked up to see at least forty armed soldiers closing in on their hiding place.

"Let's use the back door," Alec suggested, tucking the bracelet into his pocket as he lead the way.


	4. Chapter 4

"Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse," said Max as she threw herself on Logan's couch.

"Oh, come on Max. It's not**that** bad," said Alec from the chair.

Max threw him one of the looks that she had reserved just for him, "it's not? Stop playing with that!"

Alec dropped the bracelet on the magazine laden table. "No, it's not. Look all we have to do is get the boy and lay low until this…thing…is over."

"Easier said than done, "said Logan.

"Why are you always such a pessimist," asked Alec.

Logan fixed Alec with a hard stare, "White is hot on Ray's trail, he just doesn't know it yet, but I'll wager that is won't take him long to figure it out. If he hasn't all ready."

Alec sat forward and met Logan's stare, "I thought you had him hid."

Max sat up on the couch, she watched as Logan and Alec stared each other down like two alpha males vying for dominance.

"Where is Ray," she said hoping to distract them from one another.

"Why?"

"Why? What do you mean why? We have to go get him before White does," said Max

"Well, I've had him moved around a lot. Currently, he's in Brazil."

"Brazil? Are you kidding?" asked Alec.

"No," said Logan with another hard stare.

"Where in Brazil?" asked Max.

"A town called Recife. It was once a sprawling metropolis but like everything else after the pulse, it collapsed in on itself. It's still a big city, and it would be hard to find one small boy there. Or at least, that was the plan." Logan moved to his computer and started typing," I am going to have him moved closer to the border. You and Alec should leave tonight for Mexico. I have a contact there that will take you to Cozumel to escort Ray back."

"And then what?"

"Then you get back to Seattle as fast as you can."

Max and Alec exchanged glances. "Let's go," she finally said.

"Good luck, be careful," she heard Logan say.

----------

White sat in the darkened room at his assistance computer with one headphone held close to his ear. He slapped the man on the back.

"This is working out better than I had hoped." He said as he heard Max and the others talking about the location of his son.

The agent smiled, "the device also has a tracker embedded in it sir."

"Good job Agent." White said. "Activate it. I think I'm going to Mexico."


	5. Chapter 5

"I knew this was a bad idea."

Max turned to look at Alec, "what are you psychic now?"

"No," he said brushing dust and dirt from his clothes, "but we should have known better that to trust that shady informant of Logan's. If we had just snatched that kid when we had the chance, we wouldn't be crawling around in the jungles of Paraguay looking for him, or his father."

"How was I supposed to know that Logan's informant would turn on us and give Ray to White," asked Max pulling a leaf out of her hair.

"Well he was Logan's informant..."

"Stop it. Logan's on our side. White probably paid the man a fortune. You know money does strange things to people." Max sighed in disgust, "Come on. We don't have time to argue right now, we've got work to do." Max turned on her heel and started to walk away. "I think we should follow this trail into the nearest town, maybe talk to the locals and see what we can find out."

Alec rolled his eyes and followed Max out of the thick underbrush that had been their temporary hiding place. Walking down the path Alec knocked off a few hitchhiking ants before confronting Max again.

"Max, I don't think White would be stupid enough to walk into that village in broad daylight, especially since he knows we're hot on his trail. I bet he's long gone by now…probably on his way back to Seattle while we're wandering around in circles in the Amazon. So here's what I suggest we do…"

Max turned on him, "Who made you boss?"

Alec sighed, "think about it Max! If you had a huge end of the world party coming up where would you rather be? Lost in the jungle or sitting safe in a cult full of loons just like you? He has his son…"

"But he doesn't have the bracelet! He's still out there, waiting for us to come out so he can kill us and take it."

"Or he's back at the cult waiting for us to show up and try to stop him."

A lighted seemed to go off in Max's head at Alec's words.

"Or….Alec, I think I know where White is."

"Seattle?"

"No, Wyoming."

"What? Why would he go there? There's nothing in Wyoming."

Max smiled, "noting except Manticore. Or at least what's left of it. Don't you remember what Logan said? White needs three things to complete the ritual. He has his blood sacrifice, Ray. We have the bracelet. The last piece of the puzzle is at Manticore."

"There's nothing left of Manticore." A light went off in Alec's head too and he suddenly got excited, "At least nothing on the surface. There is an underground bunker; it was under the DNA lab. I remember overhearing one of the CO talking about it one day with Lydecker. It was where they kept all the important files and samples that they procured, just in case something should happen to the building itself."

"Well whatever White's after it's in that bunker." Max took off down the path but Alec grabbed her arm, "stop," he whispered. He pointed to a thin, almost invisible line of metal strung across the jungle floor.

Max's face colored slightly at almost walking into the obvious trap. " White knew we'd come this way." Max looked up through the dense tree limbs and spotted a huge green net half hidden in the branches and leaves of the ancient trees.

She picked up a stick and tripped the wire. The net came crashing to earth as another one, hidden under the shrubs, flew upward trapping a net full of leaves.

"Let's get out of here before White's goons show up to see what they caught."

Alec nodded. Together they snuck through the jungle, avoiding countless amateur traps as they went, and finally made their way back to their 'borrowed' car. Getting into the driver's seat Max felt a sense of urgency wash over her as she slipped the key into the ignition and a deep feeling of dread was growing in the pit of her stomach. Manticore was a continent away and the world was heading for an apocalypse.

----------

Ray sat in the back of his father's car and watched the scenery fly by.

"Dad," he said breaking the silence. "Where are we going?"

Ames looked at his son in the rearview mirror, "We're going home buddy."

"You don't have to work anymore," asked Ray.

"No. It's just going to be me and you for a while."

Ray nodded and fell silent again.

"Dad," he said once more.

"Yeah?"

"I won't have to go back to that school will I?"

Ames smiled, "Just one more time Ray. Then you won't ever have to go back again. I promise. Ok?"

"Ok dad."


	6. Chapter 6

"There," said Alec pointing across the frozen white training grounds to White's deserted car.

"He's still here," asked a confused Max, "I thought that he would be long gone by now."

"Let's just be glad he's not, it leaves us on even ground. Come on lets go," said Alec jumping out of the car and running towards the burned out remains of Manticore.

He slowed to a walk as he approached the outer shell and looked around for any signs of a trap. Finding none, he ventured forth into the very heart of what had been his home for so many years. He pushed back the unpleasant memories that the charred remains offered up as he searched for the DNA lab.

"Max," he whispered.

"Here."

Alec motioned towards a door and Max quickly moved to hide behind it. Alec crouched into a sitting position behind the opposite door and waited as he heard footsteps approaching. He was ready to attack when he heard a small voice call out.

"Dad? Is that you?"

"Ray, I told you to wait in the car!"

"But is really cold dad."

"Go get back in the car!"

"But…"

"I'm coming too, now go."

The little boy turned and disappeared around the corner. Alec waited until White walked by then sprung from his hiding place. He landed on White's back and the force of his attack sent them both crashing to the floor. A small vile of clear liquid flew out of White's hand and landed harmlessly in a pile of ashes. Alec barely had time to register that small bit of information as a fist collided with his head, sending stars into his field of vision. Alec punched back but missed by millimeters. White retaliated by smashing Alec into the wall.

"Max, a little help here?"

White turned to see Max sprinting for the vile on the floor.

"Just keep him busy!"

"Sure, no problem," came the strangled reply.

White punched Alec hard in the stomach and then once in the throat for good measure before dropping him and sprinting off after Max.

Max turned to see White charging toward her like an angry bull. She sidestepped his attack and threw her fist out. She heard it collide with the side of his head with a satisfying thud.

"Want some more," she asked sarcastically as White regained his bearings.

He lunged for her throat but only caught empty air as she moved once more.

"This dance is getting old 452."

Max didn't reply, instead she kicked him in the stomach.

"Alec, a little help would be nice," she shouted in between blows.

"Just keep him busy," came Alec's still strangled reply. From his position on the floor Alec watched as White decked Max and threw her against the wall. He viciously snatched the vile out of her hand.

"Well this has been fun, but I have somewhere I have to be at midnight." He gave her a brutal kick in the head, then turned on his heel and vanished down the hallway and out of sight.

As soon as Alec was able to breathe properly again he moved to Max's side.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah I guess," she said rubbing her head, "you?"

"Never been better."

Max stood and started walking down the deserted hallway, "Alec," she said as her hand sought out her empty jacket pocket, "where's the bracelet?"

"What? Max that's not funny."

"I'm serious Alec, it's gone!" Max cursed, "It must have fallen out of my pocket during the fight and White picked it up."

Alec punched the wall in frustration, "Great! Now he has Ray, the bracelet, and whatever was in the vile!" He looked at his watch," and it's only four hours until midnight!"


	7. Chapter 7

Max slowly crept down the stairs that lead out into the large open courtyard, but she stopped and ducked into an empty classroom. Crossing to the window she watched the activity outside. The courtyard was overflowing with familiars and in the very center Max could see that crazy shebitch standing at an ancient looking altar. Beside her stood a servant, completely clad in black, holding an imposing looking dagger. Max glanced at her watch, twenty minutes until midnight. She looked back up into the empty windows across the courtyard. Even though she couldn't see them she knew that the rest of the transgenic army was lurking behind the murky windows, waiting for her signal.

Max waited patiently as the group below began to chant and another black clad figure approached the altar. Smiling in anticipation of what was to come she gave the signal for Alec and the transgenics to the courtyard.

Then she watched in horror as White, the second black clad figure, stepped onto the raised dial. He gently laid the unconscious form of Ray onto the altar and the woman raised a huge dagger over his small body.

_Go time,_ thought Max as she gave the signal to attack. As she moved from her hiding place she saw the dagger strike downwards. _Poor kid._

In the next instant the courtyard became a bloody battle field with both sides engaging in deadly combat.

"Alec! Mole! Follow me," said Max as she rushed into the sea of robbed familiars. She fought her way to the very heart of the courtyard, taking down countless familiars as she went. Her last unknown victim stood in her way of White. He punched at her but Max was quicker. She used all of her strength to slam his head into the altar; he fell unmoving to the ground. Then, she whirled around and found herself face to face with her nemesis.

"You sicko, you killed your own son."

"Sacrifice for the greater good," said White as he lashed out at her.

"The end meets the means?"

"Something like that."

"You bastard!"

White's next punch sent Max smashing into the altar. As she stood up to defend herself she pulled the bloody dagger from the small body of White's son.

"Say goodnight 452."

Max stuck the dagger out as White rushed towards her. The force of his attack sent her into the altar once more as warm blood gushed from the flowing wound in White's stomach.

"Goodnight," she said pushing his lifeless body off of her.

She searched all of his pockets until she found the small vile, but the bracelet was gone. Standing up she saw it glinting in the moonlight on Ray's small wrist. Gently, she removed it and put it into her jacket pocket. Looking around she saw that the transgenics were winning the fight. The familiars that weren't lying in broken heaps were running for the doors with transgenics hot on their heels. Max walked away from the altar, through the sea of crimson stained stones, and out into the main entranceway of the school. It wasn't until Alec approached her that she realized that she was still holding the bloody dagger.

"We stopped them Max. Mole and a group of X6's chased the last group of them up the hill there," he said pointing.

"Are you ok," he asked when he noticed that she was covered in blood.

"Yeah but White's not."

Alec smiled, "bout time somebody put that crazy bastard put of his misery."

"Yeah," said Max.

"Got 'em," said Mole triumphantly walking up to Max.

"Good job, now go see how many we lost," said Max not even looking up. Mole half saluted then left in the direction of the courtyard.

Alec breathed in the night air and smiled, "crisis averted. What do you want to do now?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Max's lips, "I wanna go home and take a nice long hot shower, then I'm gonna sleep for three days."

"You'll miss all the fun at Crash."

Max threw the bloody dagger into the dirt at her feet, "I've had enough fun for a while."

At that moment Max's beeper went off.

"Here," said Alec handing her his cell phone, "better call Logan and see what new catastrophe awaits us now."

Max shook her head, "no I think I'm gonna take the rest of the night off."

"Max?"

She smiled as she grabbed Alec's elbow and walked towards the gate where her bike was parked, "A girl can only do so much at one time. Besides, the world will still be broken in the morning."

FIN

* * *

Thanks for reading! 


End file.
